Nguyen
Long-Concert Victoria Review
A Night with the Earnheardts
As Daniel Zott and Josh Epstein of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. took the stage
Wednesday night June 15th, 2011 at the 7th St. Entry, I felt this ultimate sense of comfort
in having no idea what to expect from a live show by these guys. Ive only experienced
one of their albums so musically, I was a bit ill informed. Getting the chance to see them
play at the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis helped me to understand why there is an extra "Jr"
in the band's name. All dressed up in modern three-piece suits with trucker hats, the duo
had a youthful silliness to them as they joyfully jumped around performing on a stage
draped in American flags. The playful irony came from seeing these men pretend to be
boys pretending to be men. They opened their set with Morning Thought, a catchy song
that mixes crunchy electronic beats with laid back melodic vocals, euphoric beeps and
fuzzy bass. An excellent cohesion throughout the evening was the duos tight vocal
harmonies. The song Simple Girl started with a whistled melody and channeled early
Beatles/Paul Simon, peppered with jangly guitars and da da das. A cover of The Beach
Boys God Only Knows was unexpected, but felt right at home with their own
creations.
The most impressive aspect of their performance was the perfection and depth of
pitch in their enveloping harmonies. Some of the more jangly pop songs could easily be
used in intros to teen flicks, with contagious na na na's accentuated by highly animated
and simple hand motions during songs like "Single Girl." The upbeat pop songs are both
nostalgically familiar and refreshingly polished, and when Epstein closes his eyes and
leans into the microphone with an insistent head shake, he could be mistaken for a quirky
modern day David Bowie. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr are at their best during down
tempo ballads, where layers of synthesizer textures and lullaby melodies melt around
candid heart-felt lyrics.
"I think we excel at writing 'sad bastard' songs," Epstein joked. "They make it
easier to feature the vocals," Zott expanded, "you can hear all the tenderness and
crackling in the voices at the end of the lyrics. It also makes it more about the song and
enhances the melody. We really try to emphasize the melody part with the textures. You
can have these really interesting lush songs, but what makes the song work is a good
melody."
During the show, the duo played to these strengths when they segued into a
powerful rendition of "Carolina in My Mind" after their own ballad "If It Wasn't You
Then Who Was It," which mixes tenor harmonies with lightly brooding falsetto. The
highlight of the show was the "love encore" a when giant "J" and "R" letters flashed
during a thrilled cover of Steve Winwood's "Higher Love," which even included a brief
saxophone solo. The bouncy vigor of the song then swayed into an emotional
performance of "Nothing But Our Love" as a wave of bubbles fell onto the audience.
Their latest album, It's a Corporate World is full of melodic pleasures. During
the live performance the songs have elements that show when played live can hold their
own. The guitars are more rugged and the voices are more ecstatic, which add a touch of
rebellion compared to the smooth recordings of the album.
Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott commanded the crowd like a group that has been
doing this for years when in reality the two have only been together for less than five
years. Their basement-crafted creativity translated perfectly to the intimate stage of the 7th
St Entry. I really havent seen anything like the audience interaction that Dale Earnheardt
Jr. Jr. offered for crowd interaction. During Skeletons they asked for volunteers to
come on stage and lead the Skeleton Choir. This song prompted them to bring up three
fortunate people to lead the chorus wearing skeleton masks. Each song had its own
component. The duo showed such passion, energy, raw talent and everything was too
enjoyable to translate to the people that didnt attend. You simply had to be there. It's hard
not to think a band named Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is trying a little too hard, but that'd be
just about the last way I'd describe Epstein and Zott, whose charismatic, friendly and
straightforward stage presence just added to the show's delightful atmosphere.
The show was one of the most fun shows Ive seen in a very long time. I try to go
to as many local shows as I can and rarely do I feel this level of excitement. When theyre
performing live, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is a guitar-and-drum rock band, but they maintain
every bit of the poppy light-heartedness they pour into their recorded material with their
awesome harmonies, sunny guitar tones, and a saxophone solo here and there. At times, I
felt as though I could have been at a Beach Boys show or in the audience in the movie
That Thing You Do. Everything was just the right amount of sunshine.
Above all, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. provided me a temporary escape from reality.
Their wacky stage presence and dance-worthy tunes helped a lot of people lose a certain
kind of self-awareness and a willingness to let go and be a little crazy and I cant help but
love a band who appreciates its fans as much as Dale Earnheardt Jr. Jr. does. The music
was amazing and every element of this show combined to re-instill my faith in live
music. These two showed my how much a band could light up a grungy old venue.